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Strawberry champagne cupcakes topped with pale pink rosé buttercream and fresh strawberries, with one cupcake cut open to show the soft strawberry-filled crumb.

Best Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes with Rosé Buttercream

Soft homemade strawberry cupcakes made with a concentrated champagne reduction and fresh strawberries, topped with fluffy rosé buttercream. An elegant celebration cupcake that's perfect for Valentine's Day, bridal showers, engagements, Mother's Day, birthdays and New Year's Eve.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakaes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American-Inspired
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes
  • 1 cup dry champagne or sparkling wine
  • ¾ cup fresh strawberries finely diced and blotted dry
  • 1¾ cups 210 g all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup 150 g granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup full-fat sour cream room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Rosé Buttercream
  • ¾ cup rosé wine
  • 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 3½ –4 cups 420–480 g powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch fine salt
  • 1 –2 tablespoons heavy cream only if needed
  • Tiny amount pink gel food coloring optional
  • Optional Garnish
  • Fresh strawberry halves
  • Freeze-dried strawberry crumbs
  • White chocolate curls
  • Edible pearl sprinkles

Method
 

  1. Pour champagne into a small saucepan and gently simmer until reduced from 1 cup to approximately ½ cup. Cool completely.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  3. Finely dice strawberries and gently blot excess surface moisture.
  4. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together.
  5. Beat softened butter and granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  6. Beat in eggs one at a time.
  7. Mix in sour cream and vanilla.
  8. On low speed, alternate adding the dry mixture and cooled champagne reduction, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
  9. Stop mixing as soon as combined.
  10. Gently fold in the prepared strawberries with a spatula.
  11. Divide batter between 12 cupcake liners, filling each approximately ⅔ full.
  12. Bake for 18–22 minutes or until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  13. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
  14. Meanwhile, gently simmer the rosé until reduced from ¾ cup to approximately ¼ cup. Cool completely.
  15. Beat softened butter for approximately 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
  16. Gradually beat in 3½ cups powdered sugar.
  17. Add 2 tablespoons cooled rosé reduction, vanilla and salt. Beat until fluffy.
  18. Add more rosé reduction 1 teaspoon at a time if desired. Adjust consistency with additional powdered sugar or tiny amounts of heavy cream.
  19. Add a tiny amount of pink gel coloring if desired.
  20. Pipe buttercream over completely cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired.

Notes

  • Use dry brut champagne, prosecco or another dry sparkling wine.
  • Completely cool both wine reductions before adding them.
  • Finely dice and blot strawberries to control excess moisture.
  • Do not overmix once the flour enters the batter.
  • Add rosé reduction gradually to the buttercream so it remains pipeable.
  • Store decorated cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
  • Bring refrigerated cupcakes toward room temperature before serving for the best buttercream texture.
  • Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for approximately 2 months.
  • For an alcohol-free variation, use an appropriate non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice and reduced grape juice for the frosting.